Health investment is ‘much needed backing’- IHCA

The IHCA has said the investment in the health sector announced today “deserves to be recognised”.

Commenting on budget 2021, Prof Alan Irvine, President of the IHCA, said: “We welcome much of what is contained in Budget 2021. The importance of the healthcare system to our society and economy has never been clearer. While we are playing catch-up, investment of an additional €4 billion in healthcare deserves to be recognised and provides much needed backing at a crucial time.

“We are pleased to see that many of those patient care areas we have been campaigning for through #carecantwait are recognised along with supports for those of us on the frontline.

“Dedicated funding on cancer care, maternity services and trauma are hugely significant and will benefit thousands of people. We commend Minister Donnelly on achieving agreement for these key initiatives.”

Prof Irvine continued: “Financial backing for beds at acute, community and intensive care levels is positive. Moving quickly to use this funding while in tandem providing transparency on bed delivery numbers at hospital level will give confidence to patients and healthcare professionals alike.

“Signals to finally address the deficit in hospital consultant numbers is one we all want to see realised. Addressing the consultant deficit is a three-legged stool of funding, enabling legislation to reverse the damaging 2012 decision in full, and agreement. On all three, we are finally seeing a chink of light. There is no time to lose given winter is upon us, the added pressure of the pandemic, and over 840,000 people continue to wait for care. We must now move quickly to get times in the diary to commence discussions with Minister Donnelly and health service management to ensure workable solutions are agreed.”